Liquor from Other States Seized Along with Four Vehicles in a Raid by State Excise Department, Assets Worth Over ₹40 Lakh Confiscated

Mumbai : During the Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 period, the State Excise Department seized assets worth ₹40,64,360, including liquor from other states and four vehicles, in a series of actions.

Under the guidance of Dr. Vijay Suryavanshi, Commissioner of State Excise, Mumbai Division; Director Prasad Surve; Deputy Commissioner of Pune Division Sagar Dhomkar; Superintendent Charansingh Rajput; and Deputy Superintendent Santosh Jagdale, Inspector of State Excise Department D Division laid a trap on October 27, 2024, on Ambatwet Road in the vicinity of Ghotawade village for prohibition-related offenses. A Tata S Gold four-wheeler vehicle with registration number MH 12 TV 5122 was seized. A total of 18 boxes (866 sealed bottles) of foreign liquor produced in Goa and prohibited for sale in Maharashtra, along with counterfeit Maharashtra state labels, were seized from the vehicle, totaling ₹3,55,140 in value. The accused was arrested, and the court granted a three-day excise custody. In further investigation on November 4, 2024, a raid near Karve statue, Kothrud, revealed 10,000 counterfeit labels of foreign liquor brands intended for this crime, valued at ₹88,160.

On November 6, 2024, in further investigation, ₹30,02,250 worth of assets, including machines used to print counterfeit labels, were seized from Shaniwar Peth. A total of three accused were arrested with assets worth ₹34,45,550 in this crime.

Inspector Sachin Srivastava of State Excise D Division, Inspector Shailesh Shinde of E Division, and personnel Swapnil Darekar, Sagar Dhurve, Gajanan Solanke, and Sanjay Gore took part in this operation, with Inspector Sachin Srivastava conducting the ongoing investigation.

Since October 1, 2024, the department has registered 31 cases, arrested 31 accused, and seized assets worth ₹40,64,360, including four vehicles. Confiscated materials include 991 liters of country liquor, 1,600 liters of raw materials, 227 liters of toddy, 33.00 liters of Indian-made foreign liquor, 255 liters of beer, and 155.88 liters of Goa-made foreign liquor. This action was carried out by Deputy Inspectors Vijay Suryavanshi, Ganpati Thorat, Sheetal Deshmukh, and personnel Vrushali Bhite of the department.